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Could a volcanic eruption like Hawaii’s Kilauea happen in Auckland? One expert believes so – yes.
GNS researcher Brad Scott, in a report by RNZ, said the ongoing eruption of Kilauea could provide valuable lessons about Auckland volcanoes.
Should a volcano erupt in Auckland, its likely New Zealand will see fountains of lava similar to those of Kilauea’s, Scott told the publication.
“There’s certainly aspects of the eruption, the breakouts, the lava flows, etc. - those are very similar to what the geology of Auckland tells us what has happened when eruptions have occurred,” the publication said.
Scott reportedly said there are examples in Auckland where lava flows have been several kilometres long. And, in the event of eruption in Auckland, he expects to see lava flows running down roads and through sub-divisions.
However, Aucklanders would only get warning of an eruption a matter of days beforehand.
“At least you get some indication, which is a lot better than earthquakes,” Scott told RNZ. “Sometimes they are three or four thousand years apart, sometimes they’re a bit more clustered together.”
“There’s no indication it’s coming, but it’s the sort of thing that will ultimately happen,” he added.
